Never Forget
by Ace Loves You
Summary: After Mello leaves Wammy, Matt is left alone with only Linda to comfort him.
1. Chapter 1

okay, this is my first fanfic, so please don't flame me, i take critism well, just don't be mean about it. I'm sorry if this is a little short, i promise that the chapters will get longer as the story goes on...thank you if you actually get past this ranting, I know the whole "matt after mello thing is overused" but regardless, here is my take on it.

I do not own Death Note (as much as I wish i did) or any related titles.

* * *

Mello was gone.

Roger had announced it to all the kids in the orphanage, and the usually loud and annoying group fell into dead silence.

_Mello?_

_Why did he leave?_

_But he was just behind Near to become the next L?_

_Maybe he couldn't take it?_

_L is dead, will Near take over then?_

_Maybe he went off to kill himself like A._

Matt walked out of the assembly room; he didn't want to hear the silent inquires from the surrounding children. Mello had said goodbye, and had left. Too damn proud to work with Near, too proud to admit he needed anyone. He didn't even need Matt.

Matt would've followed Mello to the end of the world, would have done anything his short-tempered angle told him too. But no, Mello didn't need him.

And Matt was worthless without him.

"Matt," a small voice whispered behind him.

"WHAT?" he lashed back at it, flipping around in the long, seemingly deserted hall.

A small girl with brown pigtails, and wide, chocolate, bloodshot eyes was standing only meters behind him.

Linda.

The only girl in all of Wammy that didn't piss Mello off.

Matt couldn't even stand to look at her.

Her large chocolate eyes just reminded him of his Mello.

He turned around and kept walking.

"Matt, I'm so sorry." The girl said again. He stopped, what was up with her, this girl was supposed to be normal, not a clingy, emotional one like the other girls here.

"Whatever." Matt muttered under his breath, and then he started running. Running down the hall, past Roger's office, and toward the outside world. He started gasping after only a minute; exercise was not his strong point. Mello had always mocked him for it.

Mello.

He couldn't go back to the room they shared. He couldn't go back to the place they lived at all. Matt wouldn't be able to take it.

Matt was sitting on the curb, his head in his hands, and his goggles left beside him, forgotten, as he heard light footsteps.

"It's dark out," the girl said as she sat down next to him. "I told Roger that you were in your room, and that he should probably just leave you alone. I don't think he'll come looking for you anytime soon."

Matt looked over at her, she was absentmindedly playing with his own goggles. He looked back down at the ground, and groaned. There was an empty candy bar wrapper on the street.

Linda had spotted the source of Matt's distress, and quickly shoved the paper into her pocket. Matt just looked at her, and then placed his head back into his hands.

"How far did you get, before you came back?" she whispered, still toying with the goggles.

Matt sighed, "Only a few blocks, then I just started wandering around, and gravitated toward here."

The two kids were sitting right in front of Wammy's entrance gate.

"I knew you would come back." Linda shivered.

"It's cold," Matt told her. "Go inside, and I promise you'll see me in class tomorrow."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, whatever."

Matt looked up and saw Linda slip into the darkness called Wammy.

His goggles were exactly as he had left them.

Sighing, he placed his head back in his hands.


	2. chapter 2 Hell

_this chapter is also short (ugh) but right now chapter 3 is like my baby, so i sorta rushed through editing this one. Another reason for that, was that this chapter was originally a LOT shorter before i went through and added stuff, and that took a while for some reason... Thank you for whoever is reading this, i greatly appreciate any comments made on it, and of course more are welcome! _

_enjoy!_

* * *

Matt saw Linda's eyes brighten as she initially saw him as she walked into the room. She came over to her normal seat in the last row, one seat away from Matt. She smiled at him, handing him his stuff from his own room, and he just glanced at her, gave a quick nod as he accepted the books, and continued staring at the blackboard as he had for the last twenty minutes.

At dawn Matt had finally wandered back into the building, wandering the corridors for hours, until he finally found his seat a half hour early.

Linda looked worried. "Have you eaten, or slept or anything?" She whispered, leaning over the empty desk between them as the other children started spilling into the room. "No offense, but you look like hell."

Sleep?

Matt had forgotten about sleep.

He shook his head.

Linda was about to say something when the teacher started talking. She sat motionless at her desk for the majority of the lecture, staring down at her desk. At some point, Matt noticed she was instinctively doodling over a sheet of paper, all the while listening intently to the old man drone on at the front of the room.

Matt's own attention was on the empty chair, and trying to forget the person who had sat there just yesterday…

As the bell rang to signal end of class, Linda stood next to Matt for a full minute before he looked up and noticed her, only then realizing that class was over. She took his stuff in her arms and gently pulled him by the wrist to their quarter hour break.

Matt followed behind her, staring at her warm hand around his wrist. The touch was almost painless, if it hadn't been for her turning around to smile at him...With her large, chocolate eyes.

He shivered, and Linda's eyes gained a sense of fear in them, as if his face had bothered her as much as hers did him.

She let go of him as they had came to the empty corridor she had led them to. Sitting down, she placed the two of theirs books down next to her. He looked down at the small girl as she took out a single piece of paper and a few pencils so she could quickly sketch out any ideas she had onto her paper before she lost them.

Slowly, Matt lowered himself down to the ground next to her and leaned up against the wall behind them. He slid his goggles up on his head to he could see Linda's paper clearly as she worked.

They sat in silence for a few moments as Matt watched her until she pulled out his DS from the stack of books. Matt grabbed the game as soon as he saw it, and for the next few minutes the silenced was drowned out by the random noises leaking from his game.

Once the bell rang, Linda quickly packed up her drawing pencils, and reached out to pick up their stuff. Confused, she looked up to see Matt already down the hall to their next class, holding the two's books.

After their second class together, the two friends wandered off to lunch. As they entered the eating hall Linda, now carrying both sets of books again, ushered Matt over to a table in the back of the noisy room. Already sitting at the table was a slight, white haired boy.

A small, white haired boy who was wearing white, silk pajamas.

Near.

"Hello," the small figure said as they approached.

He was twirling his hair around his middle finger, and only looked up once to smile at Linda as she sat down.

Matt was still standing.

Near. The reason _he_ was gone…

He wouldn't sit with it. He couldn't…

"Matt?" asked Linda quietly as she kicked out a seat for him next to her. "Please sit," Matt had just noticed that her voice was still as strained as it was last night. He noticed it looking up at her, worried, maybe, sensing the same distress as before.

Matt wondered how his own voice sounded…had he even talked today…

Linda took Matt's hand again and gently pulled him down into the chair.

"Stay," she ordered as she rose from her chair and disappeared into the crowd at their backs.

He was alone with it.

Looking up in disgust at the pale figure that sat across from him, he noticed that it was playing with a new toy, a white, furry, teddy bear. Matt could just imagine the things _he _would say about the disgusting toy that the thing across from him was holding if he was here...

It looked back at him with cold eyes.

"I am sorry that Mello left. I had no intention to put him in a situation in which he would just leave…"

Before Near had even finished, Matt started gagging at the sound of _his _name. His throat burned as his empty stomach screamed for his blonde friend.

In the background of his own shattering heart, he heard a voice scream his name. It was too familiar, too painful. His brain shut down, guarding him from his Mello's voice.

He fell, lifeless, to the floor.


	3. Chapter 3 Sick

__

this is the birth chapter of the entire story. The last half of this chapter was originally a flashback in another fanfic i started writing months ago. While writing it, it gave me the idea for this story, which turned

_out much better. __I would have posted this sooner (i was almost done when i published the last chapter 2) but fanfiction was having some issues with it...i rushed editing with the last chapter, only becasue I _

_wanted to get this one out, so I could start chapter 4. Thank you for any comments made on this story! And of course more are welcome. I hope the length of this is okay, tell me if it still needs to be longer. ;)_

* * *

**Sick**

His throat was burning, his eyes were watering, and his heart had just stopped. Mello. He wanted his Mello…

"MATT!" he heard his name being screamed out from the humming crowd.

He was unmoving as he heard footsteps run towards him, and he felt warm hands on his face. He opened his eyes, blinking rapidly, to see brown pigtails over his face. Linda looked down at him, again her eyes were watering and her face was pale.

Matt realized he was lying on the ground. Did he really want to get up, or could he just lie there forever on the cold flooring? He had no choice as Linda pulled him off the ground and up into a sitting position. Her hands were on his shoulders, and she was on her knees looking into his eyes.

God, how Matt hated her eyes….

"What's wrong?" Linda breathed; Matt noticed beyond her shoulder that the other children had started disappearing out of the room. He looked back at her and just shook his head. She shot a worried glance over his shoulder, toward the chair he had fallen from.

Matt turned around, to see **it** standing over him.

It looked down at him, unaffected, as if mocking him with its ability to suppress emotion.

He couldn't take it.

Matt pulled out of Linda's grasp, and gagged on the ground beside him. Throat burning with stomach acid, he gasped as his empty stomach cleared itself of disgust.

When his body had finished tormenting him, he started to fall back as Linda caught him. She didn't make a sound as she held the afflicted boy in her arms.

"Someone get him to his room." Roger said blandly, coming up behind her.

"I will." Linda offered quietly as she started to get up with him.

"No, Near will." Roger said, as if doubtful the small girl would be able to do it, and that the slighter boy would be.

"I'll do it, Linda." Near said as he gently pulled Matt out of his friend's arms, and was somehow able to support him and guide him out of the room.

Matt couldn't focus on anything, but him. He could see his blue eyes glare at him from under blonde bangs… His face changed into a smile, laughing at something Matt had done, and he could almost taste the chocolate on his breath…the image then turned into the two of them stealing Near's toys, laughing as they ran down the hallway with arms full of his favourites…

He was suddenly shocked back into awareness.

It was touching him.

The contact almost burned…

Matt pulled away from the pale creeper, suddenly able to support himself.

"What are you doing? I told Linda…" Even as he mentioned his only friend, no emotion emerged on his face.

Matt just started walking toward his empty room. He was no longer sick; the feeling has left as quickly as it had come.

He looked back around and saw that it was trailing after him.

"I told Linda I would take you to your room, not halfway then leave." He hadn't even looked up; he was just looking at the ground and playing with his hair.

Matt didn't care as he continued through the grey hallways. Wammy was like a mental institution; they were never allowed to leave the grounds, never allowed to be with anyone other than their fellow inmates.

But he had escaped.

Was that why he hadn't asked Matt to come with him? He didn't want to be chained down to his life here?

Regardless, Matt now had to share a cell with a ghost.

Once he got to the door of his room, he stopped. Did he really want to go in there? He jumped as he heard the bell ring, the next class was going to begin soon, and the prying crowds would come by the end of the hallway…

It was now standing right next to him.

He glared at it, as it looked up at the older boy. Its light eyes were blank and detached as the peered into the green of Matt's own. He had to rip his eyes away from its stare.

Matt opened his door, shut his eyes as he walked in, and silently shut it behind him.

The fist thing he breathed in was chocolate. The sent had always hung over the room, but now it was a painful as it was intoxicating…

Did he want to open his eyes? He didn't know. He hadn't been in here since his friend left. What if is it was like he had never been there, if everything was just gone? Or would it be worse if everything was still here, as if the blonde had only stepped out for a moment?

Matt opened his eyes.

The room looked almost exactly the same. All of their posters were still up, Matt's game was still paused at the same point as when Matt had left, the room was a mess like always, with empty candy wrappers overfilling the waste bucket, flooding onto the floor. Both beds looked like they had just been rolled out of. Matt walked deeper into the room, the closet had clothes thrown everywhere inside it. Nothing was missing. The only difference was on Matt's pillow.

A single chocolate bar.

Linda's eyes were constant reminders of his friends, the smell of the room, the wrappers littered all over the floor …and now this on his pillow? If God exists, then he had an awful sense of humor…

Matt couldn't escape him, could he?

He was everywhere.

Matt sunk down to the floor.

How could he have done this? Just leaving like he did. Matt never did pretend that he knew the reasons for why his friend did what he did, but usually he would have at least some sort of idea.

This time Matt was left lost and confused.

Matt wasn't sure how much time had passed as he heard a knock on his door, minutes? Years? What did it matter…?

The knocking continued. Matt didn't know how to answer, so he just threw an odd piece of debris at the door behind him in response. The knocking stopped.

He looked around as the door slowly opened. Linda was standing in the entrance holding a tray of food. She looked pale as she walked in and closed the door behind her. Cautiously, she sat down in front of Matt.

"Hey," she smiled lightly. "I brought you some food; I knew you haven't eaten all day, so I just thought…"

Matt just stared blankly in response.

"If I give this to you, will you eat it?" Matt looked at the tray, there were soup and sandwiches on it. He just realized how hungry he was, and nodded vigorously.

His appetite seemed to cheer Linda up; she sat the tray down in front of him, and started to get up to leave.

Matt's hand reached out for hers, and he pulled her back down in front of him. She looked at him questioningly.

"You want me to stay?" She asked, confused. He nodded in response.

He could see the happiness leaking through the pain on her face. She sat back down, and pushed the tray closer to him. "Eat," she ordered, as he reached for a sandwich. He ate slowly, as Linda watched.

Eventually, she got up and started walking around the room. Linda was careful not to touch anything as she made her mental painting. Matt's eyes followed her around the room. She stopped at the small square on Matt's pillow.

Linda turned around to face Matt; he had stopped eating and was now staring at the floor.

"He loved you, you know. He wouldn't have left without a reason." She said, her face wary as she looked at Matt's shaking figure.

He shook his head. "He didn't love me…" he whispered.

She slowly walked over to her friend, brushed his hair out of his face, and pulled his goggles off his eyes and over his head, placing them down next to him.

Matt's entire frame was violently shaking as if he were going to burst into thousands of tiny pieces. His eyes were red as tears ran down his face, falling down into his hands on his lap. He could only stare at the growing pool in his palm.

"HE DIDN'T LOVE ME!" Matt screamed.

Linda pulled herself away from him, her eyes filled with fear and distress as she saw Matt shuddering. He took shallow breaths as he tried to keep together the tiny pieces of heart that were spinning away from his chest.

She reached out for him now. Moving closer, she put her arms around him, as he leaned his head into her shoulder.

"Not after all of this. He wouldn't abandon me like this and still love me…

"Mello…Mello's gone. He left me…Mello left me…" Matt gasped and cried as Linda pulled him closer to her. Her heart broke at the anguished sounds that he made.

"I'm so sorry Matt…" She said, her eyes watering and she held her tormented friend. "What do you need? Anything…anything to make you stop hurting…"

He shook his head as he put her arms around her.

* * *

_was listening to "I'm Trying Very Hard To Be Here" by AFI, and "Demolition Lovers" (Mello & Matt's theme) by My Chemical Romance while writing this if you care..._


	4. Chapter 4 Sleep

_Ugh, sorry for the temporary halt in production. I learned not to fail english class if i wanted to keep any electronics. Regardless, it won't happen again. On the plus side, i have now had the time to plan this thing out to the end. Some other Death Note fanfictions should start appearing on my page soon if anyone is interested! Thank you for your time, enjoy!_

* * *

Waking up was uncomfortable for Matt. The first thing he noticed was that he was lying on the floor. The second thing he noticed was the slow breathing that was coming from beside him. The third thing he noticed was that is was bright.

His eyes flickered as he opened them. The light from his paused video game lit up the room; he squinted, looking at the clock beneath the screen. It was almost three thirty am. The window above his desk was pitch black. He noticed the small figure next to him. Then, the fourth thing he noticed was that he was holding the sleeping girl's hand.

Linda was lying on his floor, her warm palm in his, next to him sleeping. He sighed, looking at her head.

Her hair, wasn't the normal cute pigtails, but was down, and draped over her face. He gently brushed away the brunette strands with his free hand, to reveal a pale expression. Her cheeks had dried tears on them, and she looked like an exhausted, overwhelmed, child.

Had she been crying because he had been crying? Matt cursed to himself. He couldn't let her see him like that again…not just because he had acted like an infant, but because he didn't want to see his friend this upset ever again.

Matt didn't know what to do with her. It was Saturday, so he didn't worry about them missing a class, but he didn't want to wake her up. Matt cursed again.

After a few minutes of watching her, he let go of her hand, and carefully picked her up off of the floor, carrying her over to his bed. He kicked a couple things off of it, and then laid her peaceful body on the bed. Matt watched as Linda curled up against his sheets. He pulled the thick, blue comforter over her, and stepped back.

Linda was rather pretty now that he thought about it. As long as her eyes were closed, he might be able to look at her forever. He noticed her head rested right next to the unopened candy bar that was left there. Matt picked it up, and took it over to the desk in the corner of the room.

He caught a glimpse of his face in a mirror as he crossed the room. His face had the same tear trails across it that Linda did.

Placing the candy on the desk, he grabbed at a sticky note and pen, scribbled something down, and walked over the door with it. As he opened it, he stuck the little paper on the back of the door, and walked out of the room, into the darkness, as the door closed behind him.

Linda woke up alone.

She was warm, snuggled deep inside the thick blankets and pillows that surrounded her. The sun was pouring in through the window, and yet she was miserable. She immediately knew that Matt had gone, but she had no idea where… or for how long. Groaning, she pushed off the covers and slipped out of the bed. She looked around again, just realized how messy Matt's room really was.

Matt…she hoped he was okay.

Linda was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, having never changed before she came to Matt's room in the hope of getting him to eat. She looked down at the tray she had brought in. Two of the three sandwiches were gone. She sighed; at least it was a start…

She decided to leave the tray there, so that she had and excuse coming to check on Matt some other time.

As she was walking out to leave, she noticed a little green paper that had her name on it at the foot of the door. She picked it up.

_Linda, don't worry about me today, I'll see you tomorrow. Promise._

She stared at the note for a few moments, sighed, and left the room.

Linda didn't really know where she was going as the followed the corridors through Wammy. At some point, she felt a cool hand take hers, and guide her through the maze.

"How are you today, Linda?" Near asked as he led them to the eating hall.

Linda tried to smile at him, "Fine, thank you."

Near looked at her, Linda noticed the subtle worry in his face. "No, your not," he said quietly.

She sighed as they reached their table. "You're right," she admitted as she sat down, "…again."

Near sat down across from her. "It's a matter of simple observation." Near said, a grimace coming across his face. "And, regardless, I know you well enough to know when you're sad," he handed two hair ties to her, "and when you're happy."

Lind tried to smile again as she took the hair ties. "Thanks," she said as she started messing around, trying to get her hair to look normal, and not just sticking out in random directions.

"I'll be back," Near said as got up to go get them both breakfast. Linda turned around to watch the small boy as me made his way through the crowd of people. Everyone at Wammy would always move out of his way to let him though.

She turned back around and started at the table. Out of fear, or awe, or what, Linda had no idea why the other kids at Wammy would never talk to him, or make any effort at all to be his friend…

"It doesn't bother me." Linda jumped and turned around to see Near right behind her. He placed her plate in front of her.

"What?"

"The other kids. It doesn't bother me that they don't like me." Near took his seat across from Linda, and started pulling apart pieces of his butterless toast.

"I'm sure they like you, Near…"

Near just looked at her and sighed. "Don't pity me, Linda."

She went silent and started poking at her eggs with her fork. She didn't know how to respond.

Mello used to laugh at her for babying him so much. She didn't mean to offend Near, she just, wanted him to have friends other than her and to be happy. She also felt it was her job to protect Near from Mello's plans for him…

_Mello, damn it. How could you leave Matt like you did?_

"What is wrong with you?"

"Huh?" Linda was shocked back into focus. She looked at the pale boy playing with his hair across from her.

"I asked what was wrong with you. Why are you so sad? Is it because Matt is sick?" Near gazed at her patiently as he waited for an answer.

"Um, yeah, I guess." She responded quietly, her sunny side up egg now looked like they had been scrambled.

"Where is Matt, anyway?" He asked, as he quickly looked around the room for black and white stripes.

Linda sat very still for a moment. She then silently slid the post it across the table. Near picked up the paper with care, and held it up to his eye line, before he passed it back over to her.

"I'm sorry, Linda," he said quietly, as he fidgeted in his seat. His eyes were wide as he looked at her. "I didn't mean to upset him, I promise."

She sighed, "I know you didn't, but it's not just what you said. Matt feels…worthless, now that Mello's gone." Linda stared down at her hands.

"Was this in your room when you woke up?" Near questioned her.

"Um, no." Linda was uncomfortable when it came to subjects like this.

"Then where did you find it?"

"Matt's door."

"Oh," Near said thoughtfully. "So that's why you weren't in your room this morning when I was looking for you. You had gotten up early to check on Matt, and that's why you look so tired."

"Uh, not really."

Near just stared at her, his head tilted to one side as he waited patiently for her explanation of what she was keeping from him.

"I sort of…stayed with him last night. You know, as a shoulder to cry on…" _Shit. Ah, Linda you idiot. _Her face flushed. She hadn't meant to tell anyone, not even Near, that Matty had been crying…

"Who am I going to tell?" Near muttered, Linda was unsure is she was supposed to hear that or not. She looked up at him.

"And then we just sort of fell asleep on his floor. I woke up, and he was gone." Linda finished her story quickly.

"The two of theirs room is mildly repulsive. It's a mess, to say the least."

"How do you know?" Linda asked him. Near shrugged.

"Last month, Mello taped me to his wall." Linda just stared at him.

"What?"

"Mello taped me to his wall."

"How?"

"Remember that cut I had on my shoulder a few weeks ago?"  
"Yeah."

"That was from them ambushing me."

"_Them_?" Linda's voice got higher and higher as she became more stressed.

"Mello."

"_You said them." _Linda's face was as pale as Near's as she got up and leaned over the table towards him. People started looking at the two of them with curious expressions.

Near got up, and came around the table, taking Linda's arm, and pulling her out of the room. "You're overreacting, and making a fool of yourself," he whispered to his best friend as he pulled her through the hallways again.

Linda didn't fight him as he escorted her away. She knew she was making a fool of herself, and she knew that she was overreacting…Matt wouldn't have done that to Near, would he? Matt might watch, but he would never have active role in it. Matt was one of the nicest people she knew, other than Near. It just wasn't like him…how could Matt be as mean as Mello?

Near stopped outside of Linda's room as he opened the door, he let go of her arm. "I know what you are thinking, Linda. I assure you, Matt is fine. You are tired, and stressed, and its making you think irrationally." He walked into the room.

"You're right," Linda sighed as she pulled the door closed behind her as she headed over to sit on her purple comforter. "I know you're right."

Near was sitting over in the corner, adding to a card tower he had started prior to Mello's departure. "How about you get some sleep?" He suggested, already intrigued by his tower again.

"Are you just going to sit there while I sleep?" She asked, as she went over to her dark purple curtains to pull them shut, making the light from the outside weaken.

"Do you want me to leave?" He looked up at her, his face impassive.

She sighed, "No, stay. Just turn around." He quickly obeyed, closing his eyes, and turning around to face the graffiti covered wall.

Linda quickly changed into new clothes (another skirt and a flowery blouse) and she pulled the covers down on her bed. "If I sleep too long, promise to wake me up by dinner, okay?"

Near's attention was already back onto his cards. "Of course," he promised quickly.

Linda smiled to herself as her exhaustion turned into psychedelic dreams. The room went silent as she faded into sleep.


	5. Chapter 5 Shine

_Yay, chapter 5 is finished! It might be a couple weeks until I get to put out chapter 6, because I'm finishing up the school year and everythign else, but after that everythign should come out pretty fast. If you have made it this far, you deserve a cookie. *gives cookie* Enjoy!_

* * *

Sitting in a dim, cold corner was Matt. face was in his hands, as he had been sitting for the past few hours. Finally stirring, he opened his eyes to look around the small shack he was in.

Their hideout had been an old barn that they had converted into something half-way decent. It was comforting and familiar, at the same time as it cut around the edges of his heart. The two of them had built this home by themselves, and it was theirs alone. Somewhere that they weren't harassed by competition and prying children. It served as a place to be alone, and to be together, even if all they would do was sit in silence. It was something Wammy couldn't take from them. It was theirs. Something special, secret.

Or, at least it had been.

Mello threw it away for Kira. Mello threw everything away for a mass murderer.

Matt wasn't being selfish. The death of L, the only role model in all the kids at Wammy had, was horrible and had to be revenged. But this wasn't the way to do it.

_Damn it, Mello…_Another set of tears had come on, and Matt put his hands to his face to hide from his ghost.

Almost seven hours had passed since Linda had fallen asleep.

The room was still, except for the careful movements of Near as he continued to add to his castle of cards. The structure had wrapped itself all around Linda's bed, in which she still lay asleep in, and was taller than the bed frame. At this point, Near was on the opposite side of the room.

Linda twitched in her slumber, and Near paused in his work to look up at her. Her usually happy face was pale and cheerless, and she still looked exhausted after her rest.

Near felt sadness.

He did not like that Linda was hurting; her face wasn't as pretty when she was sad…

She stirred again, rolling over on her back, instead of curled up on her side. Her eyes flew open and she immediately took in her surroundings. Her head looked to each side of her bed.

"Near," She said slowly. "Please tell me that my bed is not surrounded with cards."

"…"

"Near?"

"That would be lying."

"Near!"

"You can still get out," he said, blandly, pointing to a small passage between the overwhelming fort.

"I can't fit through there! It's tiny!" Linda yelled. Near just looked up at her, silent.

She sighed, "I'm sorry, Near." Linda hid her head in her knees, upset at herself for yelling at her apathetic friend.

He shrugged, and went through the small opening, and slowly started rearranging the cards to make the breach larger. He worked quickly, and the structure was unharmed as he removed the last card.

"Are you happy now?" He asked her as she peaked up from over her knees. She gave him a small smile, and nodded her head. "Good," he said, pulling himself off the ground. "Then let us go to dinner?"

Linda followed Near out of her room. He walked slowly, as she followed behind him, a slight skip merging into her step. He could have almost smiled as he looked behind him to see Linda, almost happy again.

"I think that tomorrow I will draw that card tower you built!" She exclaimed, hurrying ahead of him, and skipping backwards to face him. "I mean, I'm going to have to take it down soon, and I think that it will be nice to draw it! I promise I will capture it in its entirety!"

Near walked faster to keep up with her as she bounced her way through the halls. "I also think that I will draw you at some point. I know how you hate it, and I know I got in trouble last time from Roger, but he doesn't have to know. I mean, I will burn it after I draw it, I just hate not being able to draw any people here…you wouldn't mind, would you?"

Near shook his head. "No, I wouldn't mind at all, Linda. I think you are right, and that as long as your destroy it later, then I can't imagine Roger getting upset at you." Linda giggled and jumped to hug her friend.

"You are so nice!" she laughed, entering the hall. "I'll get dinner, you go sit!"

Near was standing motionless in the doorway, a slight tint of pink coming across his pale face as he watched her skip to the crowd of people. What was this feeling? Happiness? No, he knew what happiness felt like.

He looked behind him and saw three kids standing behind him, glaring. Near shook off whatever emotion that had appeared, and walked back to him and Linda's table. A few minutes later she appeared, handing him a tray of food.

"May I ask you something?" Linda looked cautious as she peered up at Near from her trey.

Near looked up from his vegetables, sorting the carrots from the green beans. "Ask me anything."

"Are you truly sad that Mello left?"

Near looked back down at his orange and green piles before peering back into Linda's waiting eyes.

"Not really." He said blandly. She just looked at him, as if unable to comprehend his brief response. Sighing, he added, "I think that if he is unable to take the pressure and lacks the ability to be halfway decent to more than two people, then he doesn't belong here anyway…" He stopped at Linda's expression.

If she didn't want to hear his response, then why ask? He didn't understand her at times…

"I think I'm going to draw a butterfly later." She said, composing herself and changing the subject.

"That would be nice, will you just sketch it, or will you colour this one?"

She laughed, "I don't know, I will probably make it pink."

"So you are going to colour it then?"

She sighed, "Yes, or make it pink."

"Pink is a colour, Linda."

She just sighed as her prior emotion broke through and took over, and she begun to move around the food on her plate.

Near looked over her face. She didn't look as tired as this morning, but she still looked slightly sad. Near couldn't understand what was wrong with her. It was as if the world had become strangely twisted in the matter of hours.

The day Mello had left Wammy, he had been starting a card tower, and talking to Linda, watching her draw…hearing her laugh. Minutes ago she had been smiling and hugging him, and now she was sitting across from him, staring at her tray.

He felt like shaking her.

Dinner passed in silence. It was awkward, and strange for Linda not to remark on something random that passed through her head. Near felt uncomfortable, a strange sensation, due to the fact that Linda was the only person he could count as a friend, and friends weren't supposed to feel this way around each other, where they?

Linda pushed her unfinished food to the center of the table, and Near looked up from the barely-touched tray to see her slip out of the room.

He took both trays back, and headed down the hallway to his room.

I woke up to the sun peering into the old shack. The light came in through the window, and made the dust almost sparkle. It was so bright it made my eyes hurt at first.

I remembered you once called me 'sort of beautiful, in a twisted, lazy way.' It reminded me of that. There was no wind, no sound, just light and dust.

Is this what you meant?

I can't fool myself. This place holds no comfort, only pain. But It brings powerful images of you to the surface, forcing me to see your face. I don't want to forget you. I want to remember everything. Every laugh and every insult. This cabin is repulsive to me, and yet I've been sitting here for almost a day.

Am I as detestable and polluted as this homely cabin? And when something only as pure as light falls on me, can a glitter of something good be found in my face?

You give me my shine, darling. Though I doubt I would ever say that to your face…


End file.
